The U.S. debt downgrade is really more than a tiny one notch cut in the credit worthiness of the U.S.  One talking head on television said yesterday that there was never any question that the U.S. would repay its debt because the country can print money.  The talking head is correct but does not take into consideration the future buying power of the repayment dollars. Printing money at the rate the Fed has been doing devalues the currency and, in effect, allows the government to default with dollars with reduced …

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
The big drop in the Dow is the result of a global solvency crisis.  The U.S. is spending money by the trillions,  and Europe is headed for a crash touched off by Italian debt.  The economy is stalling.  The Federal Reserve, no doubt, is  contemplating another round of money printing to bail everybody out—again!   Even gold and silver sold off.  Is the Bull market in precious metals over?  It’s all covered by Greg Hunter in the “Weekly News Wrap-Up” on USAWatchdog.com.

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
Watching the debt negotiations is like watching two stubborn people headed over a waterfall.  Both are too blockheaded to steer the boat towards land on the left or the right.  So, both go over the edge and will see how long the other can hold his breath.  Both, of course, drown in this story, right along with the rest of the country.  Yesterday, Speaker Boehner said he wanted to call the President’s bluff and not give him a “blank check.” 

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
Last week, this story from Reuters really got me upset.  The headline read: “States negotiating immunity for banks over foreclosures.”  The story said, “A coalition of all 50 states’ attorneys general has been negotiating settlements with five of the biggest U.S. banks that would include payment of up to $25 billion in penalties and commitments to follow new rules.

Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
It looks like even the mainstream media (MSM) can see a calamity if we are right on top of one.  Finally, the dire debt ceiling negotiations between Congress and the White House were covered wall-to-wall on all the major media outlets yesterday.   No comment better describes the frightful situation America faces over its debt problem than what Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said yesterday on FOX

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com   
“Deal or No Deal.”  That’s what I am now calling the debt ceiling debate between Congress and the White House.  I said last week that it is going to be tough getting tax increases and spending cuts big enough to get a $2.5 trillion raise in the debt ceiling through the House of Representatives. 

By Greg Hunters USAWatchdog.com
I have been telling you for the past few days that I am not so sure Congress and the White House will get a debt ceiling deal done to avoid default on August 2nd.  The grand plan was to raise the debt ceiling around  $2.5 trillion to allow the U.S. to borrow money and pay all of its bills.  Just this week I said, given the polarization between Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives,  a debt deal is not going to be easy, if they can do one at all. 

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
Yesterday, there was a UK hearing featuring father and son executives Rupert and James Murdoch over alleged phone hacking.  The spectacle was covered wall-to-wall by most cable news outlets.  Channel surfing, I realized that at one point, CNN, HLN, FOX News, FOX Business, MSNBC, CNBC and Bloomberg were all running the testimony.  The coverage was highlighted by a disgruntled protester attempting to hit the senior Murdoch with some sort of foam pie. 

Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
The gloves came off in the fight over raising the debt ceiling yesterday.  On CBS News, the President basically threatened to cut off Social Security checks by August 3rd if a deal was not reached.  Mr. Obama said to veteran newsman Scott Pelly, “I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven’t resolved this issue, because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it.”

Towards the end of June, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced a plan to release 60 million barrels of oil to combat the high prices brought on by the Libyan crisis.  That’s about 2 million barrels a day since June 23.  It looks like prices have already hit bottom, and most think the cheap gasoline and diesel fuel will not last.  I think this could be a dress rehearsal for this time next year, just before the 2012 elections–but what do I know?